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NUMISMATIC 

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No.  14 


^»V^i 


ATTAMBELOS  I OF  CHARACENE 
By  GEORGE  F.  HILL,  M.A. 


THE  AMERICAN  NUMISMATIC  SOCIETY 
BROADWAY  AT  156TH  STREET 
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1922 


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NUMISMATIC 

NOTES  AND  MONOGRAPHS 


EDITOR  : SYDNEY  P.  NOE 


Numismatic  Notes  and  Monographs 
is  devoted  to  essays  and  treatises  on  sub- 
jects relating  to  coins,  paper  money, 
medals  and  decorations,  and  is  uniform 
with  Hispanic  Notes  and  Monographs 
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America,  and  with  Indian  Notes  and 
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American  Indian — Heye  Foundation. 


ATTAMBELOS  I OF 


CHARACENE 


GEORGE  F.  HILL,  M.A. 
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THE  GETTY  CENTER 
IIBRARY 


1 

ATTAMBELOS  I OF  CHARACENE 

BY  G.  F.  HILL. 

The  five  tetradrachms  of  this  king, 
which  were  published  in  the  recently 
issued  volume  of  the  British  Museum 
Catalogue,1  formed  part  of  a hoard. 
Of  this  hoard  50  pieces  in  all  were  se- 
cured by  Col.  H.  B.  McCormick,  D.S.O. 
Whether  the  hoard  ever  contained  any 
more  than  these  I am  unable  to  state.  It 
was  reported  to  have  been  fetched  across 
the  border  from  Susa  to  Amara,  where  it 
was  bought ; but  there  may  be  no  more 
truth  in  that  statement  than  in  another, 
to  wit : that  the  coins  had  been  buried 
in  a bronze  pot  which,  when  examined 
by  experts,  proved  to  be  of  Arab  work- 
manship and  perhaps  a thousand  years 
later  than  the  coins.  That  the  coins 
had  been  in  contact,  with  copper  is,  how- 
ever, undoubtedly  true,  for  the  forty-five 
coins  which  were  brought  to  me  by  Col. 

NUMISMATIC  NOTES 

2 

ATTAMBELOS  I 

McCormick  were  so  thickly  coated  with 
a copper  deposit  that  their  real  compo- 
sition— a not  very  pure  silver2 — could 
hardly  be  surmised.  They  have  all  since 
been  cleaned — nearly  all  with  complete 
success ; two,  however,  had  considerable 
patches  of  deep-seated  decay,  which  in 
the  cleaning  disappeared  altogether, 
leaving  large  cavities  on  the  obverses. 

Of  the  45  new  coins  shown  by  Colonel 
McCormick,  one  has  been  kept  by  him- 
self, and  22  by  the  British  Museum.  In 
the  following  list,  an  asterisk  is  placed 
against  the  weight  of  the  specimens  re- 
tained by  the  Museum.  I proceed  to 
give  a complete  list  of  all  the  coins 
known  to  me  of  this  king — 51  in  all,  in- 
cluding the  Berlin  specimen,  or  52,  if,  as 
seems  probable,  the  bronze  coin  at  Paris 
is  of  him  and  not  of  the  second  Attam- 
belos. 

All  the  coins  are  of  the  general  de- 
scription already  given  in  the  Museum 
.Catalogue,  as  follows : 

Obv.  Head  of  King  r.,  diademed, 

bearded,  hair  in  curls;  border  of  dots. 

NUMISMATIC  NOTES 

OF  CHARACENE 

3 

Rev.  Herakles  seated  1.,  with  club 
which  rests  on  his  r.  knee.  On  r. 
downwards  and  on  1.  downwards,  in- 
scription (rarely  preserved  in  full) 
BAXIAEDX  ATTAMBHADY  on  r, 
XOTHPDX  KAI  EYEPrETDY  onl. 
Above  r.  arm,  monogram ; in  exergue, 
date  (too  often  mutilated). 

They  fall  into  three  groups,  according 
as  they  have 

(A)  a monogram  on  obverse  in  front 
of  the  head,  and  on  the  reverse  a mono- 
gram or  letter  under  the  arm,  as  well  as 
the  monogram  above  it. 

(B)  no  monogram  on  obverse,  but  a 
letter  under  the  arm  as  well  as  the  mono- 
gram above  it. 

(C)  no  monogram  on  obverse,  and  on 
the  reverse  no  letter  under  the  arm,  but 
only  the  monogram  above  it. 

Contrary  to  the  usual  rule  in  the  de- 
velopment of  coins,  the  equipment  of 
monograms  and  letters  becomes  less  com- 
plicated as  time  goes  on;  the  chrono- 
logical order  of  the  groups  is  the  same 
as  that  given  above. 

AND  MONOGRAPHS 

4 

ATTAMBELOS  I 

Series  A. 

On  the  obverse,  monogram  in  front 

of  head. 

1—5.  On  the  reverse,  above  arm, 

0 below;  date,  when  legible  ZZZ.  (267). 
Weights,  15.09  grammes,  14.78  gr.*,  13,41 
gr.,  12.97  gr.*  (PI.  I),  12.82  gr. 

6.  On  the  reverse,  obscure  mono- 
gram3 above  arm,  O below  date  HZZ 
(268).  Wt.  11.24  gT-*  (PI-  I)- 

Series  B. 

No  monogram  on  obverse;  on  reverse, 
above  arm  (No.  7)  or  j^J  (Nos.  8-13)  ; 

below,  a letter. 

7.  Letter  under  arm  obliterated. 
Date,  0ZZ  (269).  Wt.  10.50  gr.* 
(B.M  C.  p.  291,  No.  1). 

8.  Letter  under  arm,  Z.  Date,  IZZ 
Wt.  14.47  gr- 

9.  Letter  under  arm,  Z-  Date  illegi- 
ble. Wt.  13.37  gr-* 

10.  Letter  under  arm,  P.  Date  illegi- 
ble. Same  obv.  die  as  No.  0.  Wt.  14.02 
gr*  (PL  I). 

11.  Similar  to  No.  10,  but  from  differ- 

NUMISMATIC  NOTES 

OF  CH ARACENE 

5 

ent  dies.  Date,  □(?)£  (270).  Double- 
struck  on  rev.  Wt.  11.88  gr. 

12.  Letter  X (?)  under  arm.  Date, 
□ 11(270).  Wt.  13.15  gr*. 

13.  Letter  X under  arm.  Date  off 
the  flan.  Wt.  10.74  gr.*  (B.M.C.  p.  292, 
No.  5). 

Series  C. 

No  monogram  on  obverse ; on  reverse, 
monogram  ^ above  arm. 

14.  15.  Date,  B OT  (272).  Wts.  13.68 
gr.*  (B.M.C.  p.  291,  No.  3)  and  13.72 
gr* 

16,  17.  Date,  rnr  (273).  Both  from 
same  ohv.  die  as  No.  15.  Wts.  10.69  gr-* 
and  ( ?)  (the  latter  retained  by  Col.  Mc- 
Cormick) . 

18,  19.  Date,  rnr.  Both  from  same 
ohv.  die.  Wtsr  13.46  gr.*  (PI.  II)  and 
10.37  gr. 

20.  Date,  TDr  or  rnX(283).  Wt.  ? 
(Berlin;  Waddington,  Melanges  PI.  VI. 
7,  where  the  date  is  taken  to  be  pnX  ). 
The  bottoms  of  the  letters  of  the  date  are 
off  the  flan  or  not  struck  up,  judging 
-from  a cast  which  I owe  to  Dr.  Regling. 

AND  MONOGRAPHS 

6 

ATTAMBELOS  I 

21.  Bate,  ED  21(275).  Wt.  12.53  gr.* 

22.  Date,  E(?)  DT.  Wt.  9.95  gr.* 

23.  Date,r ,0£(276) . ofay.  die 

as  No.  22.  Wt.  12.43  gr.* 

24.  Date,  C.  [Q12L-  Different  dies. 
Wt.  11.22  gr. 

25,26.  Date,  ZCIZ  (277).  Both  from 
same  obv.  die.  Wts.  15.07  gr.*  (PI.  II), 
12.09  gr-* 

27,28.  Date,  HDZ  (278).  From  the 
same  pair  of  dies.  Wts.  14.13  gr.*  (PI. 
II),  II-54  gr- 

29.  Date,  HDZ.  Different  dies.  Wt. 
I3-98  gr- 

30.  Date,  ODE  (279).  Wt.  13.54  gr.* 
(B.M.C.  p.  291,  No.  2). 

31.  Date,  8DZ.  Wt.  12.13  gr.* 

32.  Date,  PDZ.  Wt.  12.15  gr.* 
(B.M.C.  p 292,  No.  4).  I cannot  ex- 
plain the  very  puzzling  digit  sign.  In 
some  lights  there  seems  to  be  a middle 
horizontal.  If  the  right  vertical  were 
continued  downwards  and  a bottom  hori- 
zontal supplied,  we  should  have  a square 
theta,  such  as  is  used  in  the  name  of  the 
next  king,  Thionesios.  The  loss  of  the 

NUMISMATIC  NOTES 

OF  CH ARACENE 

7 

missing  parts  would  be  accounted  for  by 
a slight  depression  in  the  surface  which 
occupies  their  place.  Judging  by  the 
style  of  the  obverse,  the  coin  belongs  to 
about  this  period  of  the  reign.  The 
weak  point  of  this  explanation  is  that  a 
round  theta  seems  to  be  used  on  Nos.  30 
and  31. 

33.  Date,  gOZ.  Wt.  11.20  gr.* 

34.  Date  quite  illegible.  Same  obv. 
die  as  No,  33.  Wt.  11.50  gr. 

35,36.  Date,  IDE  or  tflZ.  From 
same  obv.  die.  Wts.  12.97  gr-*,  12.18  gr. 
(a  large  cavity  on  obverse  of  the  latter). 

37-40.  Date,  BUT  or  »riZ.  Wts. 
12.14  gr.,  11.96  gr.,  11.94  gr.,  10.04  gr- 

41.  Date,  mi!  (283) . Wt.  12.42  gr.* 
(large  cavity  on  obverse). 

42.  Date,  AnZ  (284).  Wt.  12.30 
gr*  (PI.  III). 

43.  Date,  §nZ.  Same  obv.  die  as 
No.  42;  therefore  the  first  letter  of  the 
date  is  probably  H A or  E • 

44, 45.  Date  illegible.  Both  from 
same  obv.  die.  Wts.  13.20  gr.*,  12.72  gr. 

46,  -47.  Date  illegible.  Both  from 

AND  MONOGRAPHS 

8 

ATTAMBELOS  I 

same  pair  of  dies.  Weights  n.66 
grammes,  10.11  grammes.* 

48-51.  Date  illegible.  Wts.  14.05  gr., 
11.63  gr-.  H-31  gr-,  9-93  gr- 

52.  The  bronze  coin  with  Nike  as  re- 
verse type  (Waddington,  Melanges , p.  89, 
No.  6,  here  Pl.  III)  seems  to  me,  judging 
from  a cast,  to  be  of  this  Attambelos 
rather  than  of  the  second. 

The  first  point  to  be  noted  is  .that  if 
the  date  on  the  coins  of  Thionesios  I 
were  really  TOE,  as  it  has  always  been 
read,  he  would  be  an  intruder  in  the 
middle  of  the  reign  of  Attambelos  I. 
But,  as  Mr.  Robinson  has  observed  to  me, 
the  omicron  on  these  coins  is  always 
square,  and  the  middle  sign  is  therefore 
presumably  a koppa.  His  suggestion  is 
completely  confirmed  by  M.  Babelon  who, 
having  re-examined  the  coins,  kindly  in- 
forms me  that  the  beginning  of  the  tail 
of  the  koppa  is  discernible  on  the  two 
out  of  the  three  specimens  on  which  the 
date  is  legible  at  all.  (See  PL  III,  A.) 
We  thus  have  the  dates  267  to  284 
(46/5-29/8  B.C.)  fixed  in  the  chronology 

NUMISMATIC  NOTES 

OF  CHARACENE 

9 

of  Attambelos  I and  293  (20/19  B.  C.) 
in  that  of  Thionesios  I.4  There  thus  still 
remains  a gap  of  nine  years  to  be  sup- 
plied between  the  dates  established  for 
the  two  kings ; and,  ftirther,  since  it  is 
uncertain  whether  the  latest  date  of 
Tiraios  II  is  261  or  264,  there  may  be  a 
year  or  two  to  add  on  at  the  beginning 
of  the  reign  of  Attambelos. 

The  next  king  known  in  succession  to 
Thionesios  I is  Attambelos  II.  His  por- 
trait is  easily  distinguishable  from  that 
of  Attambelos  I by  the  treatment  of  the 
hair  ; both  are  in  long  locks,  but  those 
of  the  first  king  are  frizzed,  whereas 
on  the  head  of  the  second  they  hang 
more  or  less  lankly.  A good  specimen  is 
figured  in  PL  III,  B.  This  is  the  piece 
the  date  on  which  M.  Babelon5  has  read 
EriZ.  Since  this  would  make  Thio- 
nesios I an  intruder  in  his  reign,  the 
reading  would  seem  to  require  revision. 
The  coin  is  slightly  double  struck,  and  on 
the  cast  I seem  to  see  that  the  hundreds 
figure  may  have  been  a f of  which  only 
the  right-hand  portion  of  the  horizontal 

AND  MONOGRAPHS 

10 

ATTAMBELOS  I 

and  the  upper  portion  of  the  vertical  re  - 
main legible.  It  bears  the  same  mono- 
gram as  coins  dated  riT(?),QT  and 
HT  6 and  resembles  them  also  in  the 
style  of  its  lettering.  The  earliest  date 
otherwise  read  on  coins  of  this  king  is 
EQZ  (Berlin).7  Taking  this,  then,  as 
the  first  fixed  point  in  his  reign,  we  have 
a gap  of  12  years  between  him  and 
Thionesios  I. 

It  is  unlikely  that  these  gaps  will  be 
filled  by  the  discovery  of  other  kings,  be- 
cause, as  I have  remarked  elsewhere,  the 
series  we  now  know  squares  with  the 
numbers  given  by  a passage  of  Pseudo- 
Lucian  which  caused  some  difficulty  be- 
fore the  discovery  of  Attambelos  I. 

I am  unable  to  offer  any  certain  ex- 
planation of  the  monograms  and  letters 
which  distinguish  these  coins.  But  it 
seems  probable  that  those  on  the  reverses 
represent  officials  in  charge  of  the  mint, 
for  they  are  used  continuously  for  a 
shorter  or  longer  period  of  years,  and  do 
not  recur  after  an  interval,  as  they  might 
if  they  represented  place  names.  The 

NUMISMATIC  NOTES 

| 

0 F CH  A R A G E N E 

II 

monogram  on  the  obverse  of  Series  A 
is  possibly  meant  for  the  king’s  own 
name,  like  the  somewhat  similar  counter- 
mark,  which  is  found  on  coins  of 
Attambelos  III  and  Thionesios  III.8 
The  letters  under  the  arm  cannot  repre- 
sent months,  since  they  run  to  X. 

The  weights,  it  will  be  observed,  are 
excessively  irregular.  This  may  partly 
be  due  to  the  cleaning  of  the  coins;  al- 
though nothing  has  been  deliberately 
removed,  chemical  changes  in  alloy  may 
have  affected  the  weights  of  some  of  the 
pieces. 

AND  MONOGRAPHS 

12 

ATTAMBELOS  I 

NOTES 

1 Arabia  &c.,  pp.  291-2.  In  the  course  of 
these  notes  I have  made  a few  tacit  corrections 
in  my  previous  descriptions  of  these  coins. 

2 But  easily  distinguishable  from  the  metal 
of  the  succeeding  kings,  which  is  very  base. 

3 All  that  is  clear  is  a loop  resembling  the 
lower  part  of  a B. 

4 Assuming  the  use  of  the  Seleucid  era,  and 
not  that  of  Alexander  ; a point  on  which  Col. 
Allotte  de  la  Fuye  will  have  something  to  say. 

5 Melanges  numismatiques  iii  (1900)  p.  230. 

6 B.M.C.  p.  293.  Nos.  1-3.  I note  here  that 

No.  s of  this  king  has  the  same  monogram  as 
his  earlier  coins  of  and  X-  an^ 

should  therefore  have  been  placed  before  No.  1, 
although  its  date  is  illegible. 

7 There  is  also  one  at  Paris  with  ^ 9H- 

s B.M.C.  Arabia,  p.  cciii. 

j 

NUMISMATIC  NOTES 

1 - - 

ATTAMBELOS  I 


Plate  I 


:i 

i 

| 


ATTAMBELOS  I 


Plate  II 


ATTAMBELOS  I 


Plate  III 


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